According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, by the year 2020 there will be more people over age 65 than under age 15. The Government Law Center's Aging Law & Policy Program helps governments prepare for this significant shift in demographics, and helps to serve the unique needs of an aging population.
The program offers the following services:
The Edgar and Margaret Sandman Fellowship provides students with the opportunity for extensive study of aging law and policy. One or two Albany Law School students devote a full year to studying a specific area of aging law and policy, resulting in a significant invitational roundtable and a report outlining their findings. Such efforts have helped the GLC maintain close communication with aging law and policy experts and the public at large.
The Government Law Center hosts a wide variety of conferences dedicated to such topics as: financial well-being for the elderly; employee benefits and pension protection; kinship care; guardianship; access to affordable prescription drugs; aging in place; and housing alternatives for adults with disabilities. Other initiatives have focused on grandparents' visitation rights and divorce proceedings in long-term marriages.